Machine for covering knocked down cartons



May 22, 1951 s. BERGsTElN MACHINE Foa covERING Knocxsn Down cmrons .5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 51, 1946 ATTORNEYS.

May 22, 1951 s. BERGsTElN MACHINE FOR COVERING KNOCKED DOWN CARTONS 5 Sheets-Shea? 2 Filed Aug. 31 1946 ATTORNEYS.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 S. BERGSTEIN MACHINE FOR COVERING KNOCKED DOWN CARTONS N. GN@

May z2, 1951 Filed Aug. 51, 1946 1&2@

ATTORNEYS.

May 22, 1951 s. BERGsTElN 2,553,740

MACHINE FOR COVERING KNOCKED DOWN CARTONS Filed Aug. 3l, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. SAA/U51. ffGSTEI/w Bywqcllek ATTORNEYS.

May 22 195,1 s. BERGsTl-:m 2 ,55'3'5740 MACHINE Fon covERmG xnocxgn no vm cARToNs Filed Aug. s1, 194e 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTO RN E YS'.

lPatented May 22, 1951 MACHINE FOR COVERIN G KN OCKED DOWN CARTONS Samuel Bergstein, Cincinnati, Ohio Application August 31, 1946, Serial No. 694,192

16 Claims.

My invention has for its main purpose the prosion of a machine for applying an exterior, sleeve-like covering to a knocked down carton. By a knocked down carton, I mean a tubular paperboard carton in collapsed form. Such cartons usually comprise a plurality of enclosing body Walls in articulation forming the tubular body, there being at the ends of the body Walls a series of closure flaps, all as is Well understood in the art. Such cartons may take a variety of forms of construction and, of course, may be made in a plurality of sizes and shapes. They do not require special description in this application.

I have found a number of important uses for collapsed or tubular knocked down cartons having the exterior sleeve mentioned above. For example, in my copending application, Serial No, 624,438, iiled October 25, 1945, now Patent No. 2,506,057, May 2, 1950, and entitled Means and Method for Rendering Paperboard Cartons Gas Tight, and Packages So Produced, I have taught the provision of a gas tight package in which the contents may be protected by special atmospheres during shipment and storage. In this package a gas tight sleeve is formed about the enclosing body Walls of a carton. When the carton has been iilled and closed on both ends, cap like closures of gas tight thermoplastic substance 'are formed over the ends of the carton in such a Way as to join in a gas tight fashion with the end portions of the sleeve. In this Way the entire package is made to embody an imperforate gas tight skin or enclosure. The package is then punctured in one or more places and a displacement of the air in the package and. the substitution of the desired protective gas are effected whereupon the punctures are resealed.

In the structure of the said copending application, I employ a gas tight sleeve having an independent seam, the sleeve covering at least the body Walls of the carton. It is economical to associate the sleeve With the carton as an incident of carton manufacture, and when the carton is in a knocked down or collapsed condition suitable for shipment to the user. One of my objects is the provision of a machine for accompanying this.

Irrespective of considerations of gas proofness, moisture proofness, and the like, the formation of a sleeve surrounding the body walls of a carton has utility in a number of applications. Window cartons may be formed in accordance with my invention by providing one or more openings in the enclosing Walls of a paperboard carton andthen Wrapping the tubular body of the carton in a sleeve-like member of transparent or translucent material. This renders unnecessary the use of relatively complicated equipment for spot-locating a sheet of cellophane or thelike on a Wall of a carton blank, and gluing it in at that position. Moreover, the sleeve formedin accordance with my present invention strengthens the carton and may be employed to impart other desirable characteristics to it, including moisture proofness or the gas tightness which has been mentioned above.

It is an object of my invention to provide a machine which operates to wrap a sleeve about the body walls of a collapsed carton and then adhere it uniformly to those Walls throughout their area. Where the sleeve is formed of a transparent material such as the cellulosic or other lms of commerce, and where the adhesive employed is transparent and clear in thin layers, any printing or design indicia imposed upon the carton walls is brought out visually by the transparent covering, and the carton is given-a glossy and more attractive appearance. This alone `ivill frequently justify the use of the sleeve herein taught.

Yet again it is possible to Wrap a knocked down carton in a sleeve of material coated with thermoplastic substance, the sleeve being long enough not only to cover the body walls of the carton, but also to fold over its ends. Such a sleeve may be adhered to the body Walls of the carton, but not to the closure ilaps thereof. Such a carton may be erected and then closed by merely folding the closure flaps Without adhesively securing them. When this is done projecting portions of the liner may then be folded over the ends of the carton; and the carton may be sealed by heat sealing the folded sleeve portions to each other. It is an object of my invention to provide a machine which may -be used to form such cartons.

It is furthe-r an object of my invention to provide a machine which is simple in construction and low in cost. It is my object to provide a machine which will handle the cartons in collapsed tubular condition as they come from the usual carton folding and gluing machine. It is an object of my invention to provide a machine which will handle the web material for the sleeves in roll or continuous form, which Will cut off sheets as desired from the continuous supply. and which will apply these sheets to the blanks automatcally,l wrapping them tightly about the blanks and adhesively securing them to desired 3 portions of the blanks, providing also an independent seam in the sleeve so formed.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent t One skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that construction and arrangement of parts and in those structures of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment` Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation o my machine with certain parts cut away.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the central section of my device taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the web feeding and cutting portion of my device taken along the same line in Figure 1, but in the opposite direction.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of my machine from the drive side.

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view on an enlarged scale corresponding to the section line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the first set of wrapping rolls and a guiding and restraining means.

Figure 7 is a partial perspective View of the guide and restraining means.

Figure 8 is a partial sectional view of the machine taken along the line 8 5 in Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a partial elevational View showing a blank feeding means.

Figure 10 is a partial elevational View of a motion transmitting device in connection with the carton feature.

Figures 11, 12 and 13 are partial sectional views showing a web severing device in various positions of operation.

Figure 14 is a perspective View of a carton and sleeve assembly Where the sleeve covers and is adhered to the enclosing body Walls only of the carton.

Figure l5 is a similar perspective view of a carton and sleeve assembly where the sleeve eX- tends into the region of the closure iaps.

Figure 16 is a partial perspective view of a carton being treated in connection with the first set of wrapping rollers.

Referring first to Figures l to 4 inclusive, I provide a machine base having side members IE! and H and cross brace members l2. The tops of the side members H3 and l i form ways upon which certain other elements of my machine may move to provide for adjustment to cartons of different dimensions. Thus, in Figure 1 there is a right end mechanism designated A Which is a sheet feeding and severing device. This is mounted for adjusting movement toward and away from a central, stationary mechanism marked B which includes means for feeding tuberi cartons, means for handling sheets of web material, and preliminary means for Wrapping the sheets about the body Walls of the cartons, together with means for delivering the partially wrapped cartons to the next series of machine elements. A mechanism designated as C includes a means for completing the formation and seaming of the sleeve. rThis mechanism, as a whole, is movable toward and away from the central mechanism B.

Web handling and sheefforming 'mechanism Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the mechanism A comprises a pair of side frames or standards i3 and I4 affixed to a subbase I5, which is slidable along the tops of the side members Iii and il.

The subbase is provided with racks IB and l1 meshing with pinions E8 and l on a shaft 2D journaled in the base side members It and II and provided with a hand wheel 2l, so that the position of mechanism B may be adjusted along the machine base or bed.

A pair of pinch rolls 22 and 23 are mounted on the side frames in such a fashion that they may Withdraw and continuously move a web of sleeve forming material 24 coming to the machine from a roll on an unvvinding stand (not shown). The nature of the material is not a limitation on this invention. It will be a iiexible sheet stock such as paper, glassine, parchment, laminated foil, or any of the non-fibrous films of commerce. It will preferably have been coated upon one side (which is the upper side in the machine), with a thermoplastic adhesive substance which may be reactivated by heating elements, and which will serve to adhere the flexible sheet material to the carton box. The nature of the thermoplastic adhesive `is again no limitation on this invention and may be of any kind suitable to the purposes for which the treated 'cartons are intended. 1f the web is not precoated with thermoplastic adhesive, it will be necessary to make provision on my machine for the application of a thermoplastic or other adhe= sive to the Web after or before it has passed through the pinch rolls 22 and 23. This may be done; but an operation with a precoated web is preferred by me.

My invention is not limited to the use of a sheet of sleeve-forming material which is coated all over one of its surfaces with adhesive. For some uses the adhesive may be applied byspotting only, or in selected areas.

The upper pinch roll 22 is journaled in bearings 25 which are slidabie on the side frames aforesaid as shown in Figure l, so that the pinch rolls can separate more or less as required for Webs of different thicknesses. The upper pinch roll is driven by a gear or pinion 2G meshing with a gear 2 on the shaft of the lower pinch roll.

The shaft of the pinch roll 23 carries a gear 23 which is driven through an intermediate gear 2S on a stub shaft which is adjustable as to position in a slotted ear Se on the side frame M. The shaft of the pinch roll 23 is shown as car-- rying also gears 3! and 32 of different sizes; and the intermediate gear 23 may ce selectively brought into mesh vwith these other rolls for varying the speed of the pinch roll combination. The intermediate gear 23 however, remains in mesh with the axially elongated spur gear on a stub shaft mounted on the side frame la. rJihe spur gear has a wide enough face to accommodate the intermediate gear 2S in all positions of adjustment; and this gear remains in mesh with the spur gear because the slot Eli in the ear Si' is formed arcuately with its center of curvature at the axis of the spur gea-r S3. Thus adjustment may be made in a series of steps for the formation of sheets of different longitudinal dimensions.

fi. bevel gear 35 rotates with the spur gear 33, and motie-n is transmitted to it by another bevel gear 315 on e. vertical shaft 3l journaled in brackets and 3Q on the frame of mechanism B and hence movable therewith. A bevel gear il on the end of shaft 3'! meshes with a bevel gear il splined on the main drive shaft 122 of the machine. Chis main drive shaft is jcurnaied in brackets i3 and li!!- on the side member li of the machine bed. en extension dii of the bracket 39 connects the bevel gears sii and li-i, so that ti e latter will move along theshaft 42 as mechanism B is moved along the machine bed.

The pinch rolls 22 and 23 feed the web forwardly; and I provide in connection with mechanism A, a means for severing the web into sheets. This last mentioned means must operate very rapidly so as to make a clean cut across the web 2li without interfering withits progress. It must also be a type of mechanism in which the cutting elements are immediately removed from the path of the web when the cut has been made.

I shall now describe one mechanism suitable for this purpose. The side frames I3 and I4 have upward extensions I SA and lil- A, which vare connected by a bridge 46. On this bridge I mount an electric solenoid 4l, the plunger 48 of which is connected by a link 49 to a crank arm 50 on a shaft 5I journaled in ears on the side frame extensions ISA and MA. l@ther crank arms 52 and 53 on the shaft 5| operate a quick cut off mechanism which is detailed in Figs. l1., l2 and 13. Adjacent the pinch rolls 22v and 23 I provide a lower knife mechanism 54 over which the web material 24 passes. This knife is mounted upon a bracket 55 on the standards I3 and Iii. The brackets also support means 55 and 57 providing ways for a vertically slidable member 58. This member bears a knife 59 coacting with the knife 54. Spring means and v5I are attached to the vertically slidable member 58 to urge it upwardly; and the other ends of these springs will be connected to some suitable overhead support, which may be the shaft 5I. The crank arms 52 and 53 are connected to the vertically slidable member 58 by means of links 52 and 63. These links are provided at their lower ends with angular slots G4 in which pins or a rod 65 attached to the member 58 ride.

When the solenoid 41 is energized to draw the plunger 4S upwardly, it will be evident from Figure 1 that the crank arms 52 and 53 will rotate in a counterolockwise direction, and, through the links 62 and 63, drive the member 58 downwardly, making a cut. It will be seen in Figure l2y that as this motion continues and as the crank arm 52 and link 62 pass dead center, the lower or horizontal. portion of the slot 6L! will tilt (see Fig. 13), to the extent ofcausing the rod 85 to slide along the horizontal portion of the slot until it comes beneath the vertical portion. This releases the member 58, and the springs Bil and 5| draw it upwardh7 instantly. The crank arms and links, upon deenergization of the solenoid, return to the starting position shown in Fig. ll, without again displacing the number 58. Thus the mechanism resets itself in the start-ing position and is ready for another cycle. Springs Ella on the crank arms and links assist the resetting action.

The mechanism just described. is exemplary only of quick cut-off mechanisms which I may employ.

The brackets 55 may as shown, be extended and may be provided with one or more supporting rolls for the severed sheet. Such rolls have been indicated at 1|, and gearing for them at Ila. They may be driven by a mechanism hereinafter described.

To energize the solenoid, I provide a switch 'I2 on the side member I I of the machine bed. The operating arm 13 of this switch is actuated by a cam Iii on the main shaft l2 of the machine.

The switch 'I2 will be connected to the solenoid and to an appropriate source of power as will be understood by those skilled in the art. To

form sleeves about the bodies of cartons of' different sizes will, of course, require sheets of the sleeve forming web material of different lengths. The solenoid lll will be actuated in a fixed timed relationship to the revolutions of the main shaft of the machine (unless, of course, the cam 'I4 be changed); but the speed at which the pinch rolls are driven can be Varied by causing the intermediate gear 29 to mesh with different ones of the gears 28, 3|, and 32 on the shaft of pinch roll 23. In this way the length of the sheets may be varied. The fact that a lapped seam is made in the sleeve enables me to vary the sheet length incrementally.

Carto/li feeding and initial wrapping mechanism Coming now to mechanism B, I have provided standards 'I5 and 'I5 on the machine bed. These standards have angular extensions 'II'fand 18. An arcuate hopper for tubed carton blanks comprises bottom members l9, side members 89, and top members 8|. The various members may be adjustably supported at one end by hangers or brackets 82 mounted upon a shaft or rod 83 extending across between the extensions 'Il and '58. Adjustability in the hopper is required to accommodate tubular cartons of various sizes, and may be attained by adjusting the members along the brackets, as will be clear from the drawings. The other ends of the hopper members may be supported by hangers or brackets Se on a shaft 85. The lower hopper mem-bers may also be given support from a bar 85a extending across between the table side frames III (see Figure 5). The tubed cartons will usually be placed in the hopper by hand.

I provide means for feeding the tubed cartons downwardly one by one. The actual movement of the cartons is accomplished by a vertically reciprocating pair of pusher elements which will be seen at 86 and 87 in Figure 2. The mechanism is detailed in Figures 8, 9 and 10. On the angular side frame extensions 'I'I and '18, I provide vertical ways- 88 and 59. Carriage `members indicated at 9B are slidable on these ways, and are connected by a shaft 9|, the central portion of which is squared as indi cated. Collars 92 are slidable non-rotatively along the shaft 9|, and are adjustable by means of set screws 93. The pusher members 8B and 8l are held in holders 94 which are pivoted to the collars 92 as shown in Figure 8. Springs 95 urge those holders against stops 9S.

It will 'be apparent that if the pusher 86 is vertically reciprccated, the end of it, notched as at Sl, will engage one of the tubed cartons 98 and carry it downwardly. On the return stroke, the pivoted and spring pressed mounting for the pusher enables it to ride over thenext carton, and then spring into positionwith its notched end engaging the upper edge of the next tubed carton. Reference to Fig. 5 will indicate that the ends of the bottom hopper members 'i9 serve as abutments to hold the remainder of the tubed cartons in the hopper as the carton 9i! is being carried downwardly. Stops 99 on a cross bar |09 between the angular side frame extensions 'Il and 'i8 hold the 'stack of tubed cartons in the hopper while this feeding action is being accomplished.

The carriages 9i) are reciprocated vertically by the mechanism. next to be described. C`ollars IGI (Fig. 10) are rotatively mounted on the rounded ends oi' the shaft 9|; and each such collar has attached to it a headed rod' I 02, which `tensions 11 and 1S.

passes through a perforation in the end of a lever |53. A spring |54 engaging between the head and the lever permits the rod to move in a controlled fashion with respect to the lever. The lever itself is non-rotatively mounted upon a shaft .|65 journaled in the angular frame ex- A cam follower |55 on a lever |51, which is rotatively mounted on the shaft, is engaged by another lever |58, having a fork with arms lying on both sides of the lever |51. Springs |55 and H5 engage between the arms and the lever |51, giving a resilient ccnstruction. A cam for the carn follower is non-rotatively mounted on a shaft ||2 -jcurria-led in the angular side frame extensions, The shaft is provided with a sprocket H3, and is driven as will hereinafter be set forth.

In my apparatus, it is not necessary to adjust the stroke of the pusher members 85 and 81; but their positions may be adjusted along the shaft 5| by means of the collars 92, for cartons of different dimensions.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be seen that as an adjunct to the feeding means just described, I provide a means for urging the stack of tubed cartons forwardly in the hopper. A rod H is pivoted as at I5 intermediate its ends to a lever ||B which is fixed on'a shaft H9 journaled on table side frames ||1 on the angular frame `extensions 15 and 15 of apparatusB. A tension spring H8, engaging between the rear end of the rod |4 and the tableside frame l1 (or a rod ef"- tending between the table side frames) urges the `rod counterclockwise on its pivot i5. The front end of the rod bears a frictional means |25. which may be of wood rubber, or other suitable material. A lever |2| xed to a shaft |22 journaled in the table side frames is so located as to bear against the rod H4. The shafts H9 and |22 are rocked through arcs less than a full circle by mechanisms which will later be described; and the timing is such that while the friction member |20 is moved back and forward in a substantially horizontal direction, it is permitted to contact the lower edges of the stacked tubular cartons onthe forward stroke, but is depressed by the end of the lever |2| and held out of contact with them throughout its return stroke.

Immediately below the end of the hopper, electrically heated rolls |23 and |24 are mounted on shafts |25 and |25. The shaft |25 is journaled in the frame members 15 and 15, while the shaft |25 is journaled in blocks slidable in ways in these frame members. Spring means |28 urge these blocks toward the shaft |25 of the other roll, thus providing a resilient pinch roll combination. The ends of the rolls are provided with commutatcr rings connected with the heating elements inside them; and brushesklZi'l and Y|35 are mounted on insulating blocks on theframe member 15 to supply the necessary current, The rolls will be driven as hereinafter described.

The web of material 24 in Figure 5 is moved to the left by the pinch roll combination 22 and 23 and is severed into desired sheets as has already been described. The rolls 'Hof apparatus A, form the beginning of a table or support which is continued in apparatus B by a stationary member |3| and by guiding and restraining members detailed in Fig. '1, which lie immediately above the pinch of the rolls |23 and |25.` It is also continued by such other stationary supporting means as may be required, and by a series of rolls |32 mounted in the table side frames |I1.

The guiding and restraining apparatus located above the pinch of the rolls is shown in Figure 7, as comprising stationary outside means |33 and |34 fastened to end members |35, and a pair of inner members |36 and |31 of more or less elliptical cross section. These are mounted on shafts |38 and |39 which pass through the end members |35 and are provided with levers |40 and |4| and controlling springs |42 and |43. The effect of these springs is to urge the members |35 and |31 to the position shown insolid lines in Figure '1; but, acted upon by a tubed carton coming down from above, they may assume the positions shown in dotted lines in Figure 7 and in solid lines in Figure 6. They act in this position to guide, restrain and straighten out a sheet of the material 24, and smooth it against the sides of the tubed carton 93.

The rolls 1| and |32 in Figure 5 are driven by means hereinafter to be described; and they act to move a severed sheet of the material 24 to the left in that figure. The timing of the various moving elements is such that when the sheet has moved a certain distance to the left, the tubed carton 98 is thrust downwardly against it. This stops the sheet in its path of travel, being enabled to do this because the sheet is merely resting on the driven rolls 1| and |32. The continueddownward movement of the tubed carton 58 depresses the members |35 and |31 as shown in Figure 6, so that the sheet begins to wrap about the surface of the tubed carton. The carton and sheet next enter the pinch of rolls |23 and |25. The heat of these rolls softens the thermoplastic coatings on the sheet and causes it to adhere to the body walls of the tubed carton. The timing does not have to be very exact, but is preferably so accomplished that as shown in Figure 5 the sheet 24a. is wrapped about the body walls of the carton 98a with an extension |44 occurring on nthe left hand side of the carton.

As the carton passes out of the pinch of the rolls |23 and |24 it is delivered between pairs of arms |45 and |46 of a spider. The spider is mounted on a shaft |41 journaled in blocks |48 slidable in ways |45 in the frame member 15 and 15. The shaft |41 is turned in a step by step fashion; and the function of the spider is to lower the blank in the direction of the arrow in Figure 5, from the vertical to the horizontal and deliver it to a table |55 which is a part of mechanism C.

The drive for the elements of mechanism B Will be best appreciated from Figures 2 and 4. The main drive shaft 42 of the machine carries a bevel gear |5| which meshes with a bevel gear |52 on a vertical shaft |53, having bearings in Ybrackets on the side frame 16.

The block |58 in which one end of the shaft |41 is journaled, and which is slidable on ways in the side frame member 15, is provided with gear teeth '|54 along oneedge, as can be seen most clearly in Figure 2. This construction is the same at both sides of the machine. Small gears |55 on shafts |55` journaled in the side frames 15 and 15 mesh with these teeth; and the shafts carry sprockets |51 which are connected Vby chains |58 to sprockets |55 on a shaft |50 journaled on the side frame members. The shaft '|55 bears a hand wheel |5| by means of which the blocks ldmay be raised and 10W- ered as will be clear.

On the drive side of the machine the block |58 carries a bracket |52 in which is journaled a bevel gear |53. The gear, being splined to the shaft |53, thus moves up and down with the block |48, remaining in mesh with the bevel gear I 64 of a Geneva movement |65, one part of which is attached to the shaft |27 of the spider. By these means, the spider shaft is driven in a step by step fashion irrespective of its adjusted position.

The shaft |53 also bears a bevel gear |66 which meshes with a bevel gear |67 on the shaft |26 of the heated roll |24. The other heated roll may be undriven; but I prefer to interconnect the shafts |25 and |26 by gears at |68 on the reverse side of the machine. The shaft of the roll |24 on the reverse side of the machine also bears two eccentric cams |69 and lli). The iirst of these cams has a follower I 7| connected by a rod |72 to a lever |73 which is fixed to the shaft H9.

This shaft, by a mechanism already described, causes the horizontal back and forth movement or" the frictional means |23 beneath the stack of cartons. The other eccentric cam |70 has a follower |74 which is attached to a lever |75 on the shaft |22. The rocking movement of this shaft moves the lever 2| up and down, controlling the contact of the frictional means with the cartons.

A gearing indicated at |76, permitting changes of speeds, may be interposed between the bevel gear |67 and the shaft |26 if desired.

A bevel gear |77 meshes with the gear |76 and is fixed to a vertical shaft |78 journaled in brackets |79 and |80 on the side frame member 'I5 and the angular extension 78. The shaft bears an upper bevel gear |S| meshing with a bevel gear |82 on a horizontal shaft |83 journaled partly in an extension of the bracket |89 and partly in the member 78. The shaft |83 also carries a sprocket I 843 which is connected by a chain |85 to the sprocket I I3 on the shaft ||2 which drives the pusher mechanism heretofore described.

The various rollers ll and |32 are preferably, though not necessarily, separately driven. The rollers |32 are connected together by a gearing indicated at |86 in Figure 4, so that all of these rolls turn in the same direction. The rollers 7| are similarly geared together at 7|a. In Figure 2, I have shown a small motor |87 mounted on a bracket |88 on the frame member 75. The shaft of this motor bears two sprockets |89 and |90 which are connected respectively by chains |9| and I 92 to sprockets on the ends of the shafts of one of the rolls in each of the groups 7| and |32. One of these sprockets is indicated at |93. The other is not shown.

Final wrapping `and delivery `means Mechanism C, as will be seen from the various figures, comprises a pair of side frames |95 mounted on a subbase I 25 which is slidable on the side members I and of the machine bed. The members |95 are provided with gear teeth |96 meshing with pinions |97 mounted on a shaft |98 journaled in the side members i0 and II, and provided with a hand wheel |99. Thus mechanism C as a whole may be moved toward and away from mechanism B to accommodate different sizes of cartons.

The side frame members |915 of mechanism' C have vertical ways 295 in which members 20| are slidable. The table |60, to which reference has already been made, is mounted on a bracket extending between the members 20|. A shaft 202 for a lower heated roll 203 is journaled in the members 26|. These members also provide ways 204, slidably holding blocks 208 in which the shaft 205 of an upper heated roll 206 is jour- 10 naled. A spring 207 engages between the block 208 and upper abutment 209 on the member 20|, thus providing a resilient pinch for the rolls 203 and 206.

To each of the members 20|, I rigidly attach a threaded shaft 2|0 extending downwardly. A threaded nut 2|| bearing a worm wheel 2|2 engages each of these shafts, and is retained between the arms of a transverse member 2|3 on the side frame Illi in such fashion that, while it can rotate, it cannot move vertically. A worm 2| 4 on a shaft 215 journaled in the transverse members 2| 3 serves as means for concurrently turning the worms and hence the worm wheels, thus raising and lowering the members 20| whereby to adjust their positions with respect to the position of the spider in mechanism B. The shaft 2|tl is provided with a hand wheel 2|6 (Fis. l).

As indicated above, the spider delivers the partially wrapped carton onto the table |50, whence it will be sent through the pinch of the heated rolls 203 and 206. As the carton comes into position on the table, a guide means 2 I 6a. adjacent the roll 205 assures the turning of the projecting portion lili of the wrapper sheet 2da, and its smoothing back over the other edge of the wrapper sheet so as to complete the Wrapping and the formation of a seam in the wrapper sheet.

To move the partially wrapped carton from the table into the pinch of the rolls 203 and 206, I provide a pusher lever 2|'|, pivoted as at 208 to the side frame 76 of mechanism B, or to the block |48. The lower end of this lever is connected by a link 2|9 to a lever 220 on a shaft 22| extending across between the members 20| 0f mechanism C. The shaft 22| also has a lever 222 with a cam follower. A cam 223 is fixed to the shaft 205 of the heated roll 206. A spring 224 operates to hold the cam follower against the cam; and it will be apparent that as the roll 266 rotates, the carton 98h will be pushed from the table |05 into the pinch of the rolls 203 and 206.

These rolls are electrically heated, being provided with contact rings as before described. Brush supports are shown in Figure 5 at 225 and 226. The wrapping of the carton is completed by these rolls, and the finished article may be i delivered to a conveyor 227 or other receiving means forming no limitation on this invention.

The rolls 203 and 206 are geared together by gears 229 and 23|?` (Figure 4). A bevel gear 230 is fastened to the last mentioned gear, and

meshes with a bevel gear 23| on a vertical shaft 232. This shaft is journaled non-slidably in an upper bracket 233 on the vertically slidable member 20|, and slidably in a lower bracket 234 on the subbase of mechanism C. A helical gear (not shown) is splined on the shaft 232, and meshes with a helical gear 235 splined on the main drive shaft 42; and the meshing of these gears is maintained in spite of movement of mechanism C by the engagement of helical gear 235 with the bracket 234. In this way the rolls 203 and 206 are driven.

In Figure 14 I have shown a paperboard carton 236 having conventional enclosing body walls and end sealing flaps. A wrapper sheet 237 has, by the use of my machine, been wrapped about the body walls of this carton and seamed at 238. In the light of the discussion in the preamble of this specification, it will be clear that this wrapping may lbe for the purpose of providing the carton 236 with a gas tight, independently l l seamed sleeve, and that the carton may be intended for the production of a gas tight package in which the contents are preserved in a special atmosphere. In addition, or instead of a gas tight feature, the carton may have been wrapped to provide a window package, in which event one or more of the body walls of the carton 236 will have window openings in them which are covered by the transparent wrapping. Again, instead or in addition, a transparent glossy wrapping may have been applied to bring out the printed indicia on the carton walls, and to give an enhanced appearance to the package. It will be noted in Figure 14 that the wrapping or sleeve 231 covers the body walls of the carton and does not extend into the area of the sealing flaps. Such wrapped carton may be made on my machine in various sizes with heated roll combinations of any length beyond the width of the vwrapping itself.

In Figure l however, I have shown a carton 239 provided with the wrapping 24B, seamed as at 214|, In this instance the wrapping not only covers the body walls of the carton, but extends into the areas of the closure flaps. In cartons lapped in this fashion, it is generally desired that the wrapping adhere uniformly and smoothly throughout the areas of the body walls but be unadhered to the iiaps. This may be accomplished by employing heated rolls such as the rolls |23, i230., and llia (corresponding to the rolls 523 and 124 of Fig. 5), but with their faces so limited in longitudinal extent as to contact only the body wall portions of the carton. It will be understood that rolls corresponding to the rolls 283 and 2% of mechanism C will be employed similarly limited in the axial extent of their working faces. Through the use of such rolls, a wrapper, even though it extends into the closure flap area, can be adhered only to the body walls of the carton and will be unadhered to the flaps.

A carton such as is shown in Figure l5 may be erected and closed by simply folding the closure flaps without adhering them, afterward folding the unadhered end portions of the wrapper over the ends of the carton and sealing the parts together. This may be done by means of the thermoplastic adhesive already resident upon the wrapper sheet; and the sealing may be done by members heated sufliciently to reactivate the adhesive. This is an excellent and inexpensive way of providing wrapped cartons for various purposes, particularly where preservation of the moisture content of the packed articles is desired.

It will be understood that a wrapped carton may be made in which the sleeve member is merely spotted or attracted at intervals to the body Walls of a carton, if desired. Wrapped structures may also be made in which the inner carton is provided with other than the usual seal-end type closure flaps, for example, a tuck-end closureflap arrangement, or the type of flaps which come into interengagement when folded over and depressed, or with any of the known, self-erecting closures. Also for the formation of certain types of wrapped structures, my machine may be employed to apply a sleeve to a tubular paperboard body devoid of closure naps.

Adhesive may be applied to the sleeve web either on my machine or in a previous operation, in selected areas only rather than over one entire surface of the web. Thus if a band of adhesive having a width equivalent to the length of the body walls is applied to the web, my machine will l2 form a sleeve about a tubular carton with the sleeve extending into the Hap area, adhered to the body walls, but not adhered to the naps. In this event the length of the heated rollers does not need to be limited to the length of the body walls. A sheet or web of sleeve forming material may likewise be coated with a band of adhesive of a width equivalent to the length of the body walls plus a transverse band of adhesive extending all along and limited to the projecting portion Hifi of the wrapper sheet as it is applied to the carton body in the first wrapping operation. In the second wrapping operation, using heated rollers of a length at least equal to the length of the sleeve, the sleeve will be seamed throughout its length but will remain unadhered to the naps.

Any or" the cartons herein described may be provided with cut-outs in one or more walls, a transparent, external sleeve or wrapping furnishing a Window.

Modications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit of it.

Having thus described my invention in an exemplary embodiment, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a pair of rolls juxtaposed and forming a, pinch, means to feed a sheet of material to a position in a plane adjacent said rolls and substantially parallel with the plane containing the axes of said rolls, and means for feeding a tubed carton into the pinch of said rolls through the plane occupied by said sheet whereby to carry said sheet through the pinch of said rolls and wrap it about side portions of said tubed carton with one end projecting, means to turn said partially wrapped carton through an arc, means for sweeping back said projecting portion of said sheet as said carton is so moved, and a second pair of pinch rolls through which said carton is next sent to press said projecting portion of said sheet against said carton and lap it over the opposite edge portion of said sheet.

2. The structure claimed in claim l including means for heating said rolls whereby a sheet coated with a thermoplastic adhesive may be caused to adhere to said carton with the lapping portions of said sheet adhering to each other.

3. In mechanism of the class described, a pair of horizontally arranged pinch rolls, means above said pinch rolls for supporting a sheet of flexible material, a hopper for tubular cartons above said supporting means and means for feeding said cartons downwardly one by one into the pinch of said rolls whereby a carton so fed is enabled to carry said sheet with it through the pinch of said rolls, a spider located below said rolls to receive said carton and sheet, means for operating the spider to deliver the carton and sheet in a horizontal plane at a lower level and. a pair of vertical pinch rolls located at said level to receive said carton and said sheet.

4. In mechanism of the class described, a pair of horizontally arranged pinch rolls, means above said pinch rolls for supporting a sheet of flexible material, a hopper for tubular cartons above said supporting means and means for feeding said cartons downwardly one by one into the pinch of said rolls whereby a carton so fed is enabled to carry said sheet with it through the pinch of said rolls, a spider located below said rolls to receive said carton and sheet, means for operating the spider to deliver the carton and sheet in a horizontal plane at a lower level and a pair of vertical pinch rolls located at said level to receive said i3 carton and said sheet, and means substantially at the level of said supporting means to withdraw sheet material from a roll and to sever it into said sheets.

5. The structure claimed in claim 4 wherein said mechanism includes a machine base, a first support on said base supporting said rst pair of rolls, said hopper and said spider, a second support on said base supporting said second pair of rolls, and a third support on said base supporting said withdrawal and severing means, one at least of said supports being movable on said base for adjustment relative to a second of said supports, and means for moving said movable support.

6. In a machine of the character described, a machine bed, central supports on said bed, a hopper for tubed cartons, a support for sheets of exible material below said hopper, a pair of horizontal pinch rolls and receiving means for a wrapped carton located on said central supports, additional supports movable on said machine base and supporting a pair of pinch rolls aarranged vertically, said last mentioned supports being movably mounted for movement toward and away from the rst mentioned supports on the machine bed, and means for moving said movable supports.

7. In a machine of the character described,

means for withdrawing coated web material from a roll, quick acting means for severing said web into sheets, a pair of horizontally arranged pinch rolls, means for positioninga sheet above said rolls, means for feeding a tubed carton downwardly into the pinch of said rolls, said carton feeding means and said sheet positioning means acting in timed relation to cause the sheet to be contacted by the carton and carried with it into the pinch of said rolls, the sheet being of a size and positioned so as to be wrapped by the rolls about body wall porti-ons of the carton with an edge projecting beyond the upper end of the carton, means beyond said rolls for folding the projecting edge of the sheet over the upper end of the carton so as to lap the opposite edge of the sheet, and sealing means in the form of a second pair of pinch rolls for sealing together the lapped edges of the sheet, and means for passing the wrapped cartons through said second pair of rolls to complete the Wrapping and sealing thereof.

8. The structure claimed in claim 7 including means for heating said pinch rolls so that a sheet of said web material coated with a thermoplastic substance may be cemented to said carton and separately searned as to its lapping edges.

9. In a machine of the character described, a rst mechanism comprising means for withdrawing coated web material from a roll and for severing it into sheets by quick acting means, a second mechanism comprising a support for the severed sheets, a pair f pinch rolls located below said support, means for heating said pinch rolls, a hopper for tubed cartons located thereabove and means for feeding individual tubed cartons so as to carry sheets of said web material into the pinch of said rolls, and a means for receiving the partially wrapped cartons so produced, and transferring them from said second mechanism to a third mechanism and a third mechanism comprising a support for the transferred cartons, means for folding over a projecting end of said sheet and a second pair of pinch rolls to receive the carton and sheet and complete the wrapping and sealing thereof,

TIS

l0. In a machine of the character described, a first mechanism comprising means for withdrawing coated web material from a roll and for severing it into sheets by quick acting means, a second mechanism comprising a support for the severed sheets, a pair of pinch rolls located below said support, means for heating said pinch rolls, a hopper for tubed cartons located thereabove and means for feeding individual tubed cartons so as to carry sheets of said web material into the pinch of said rolls and wrap said sheets about wall portions of said cartons with a projecting edge, and a means for receiving the partially wrapped cartons so produced, and transferring them to an angularly related plane, and a third mechanism comprising a support for the transferred cartons, means for folding over the projecting edge of said sheet and a second pair of pinch rolls to receive the carton and sheet and complete the wrapping thereof, said several mechanisms being movable toward and away from each other for adjustment for cartons and sheets of varying dimensions, and means for moving the said several mechanisms h5, for relative adjustment.

'11. In mechanism of the character described, a support for sheets of web material comprising in part driven rolls upon which a sheet may be supported, and tending to move said sheet, a pair of pinch rolls located below said support and means above said support to feed a tubed carton into the pinch of said rolls through the plane of said support whereby said cartonmay arrest the movement of a sheet upon said support and carry it into the pinch of said rolls, said carton passing through the pinch of said rolls with said sheet, whereby said sheet becomes at least partially wrapped about body portions of said carton.

l2. In mechanism of the character described, a support for sheets of web material comprising in part driven rolls upon which a sheet may be supported, and tending to move said sheet, a pair of pinch rolls located below said support and means above said support to feed a tubed carton in timed relation to the movement of the sheet t0 engage the sheet and carry it into the pinch of said last mentioned pinch rolls through the plane of said support whereby said carton will arrest the movement of a sheet upon said support, said carton passing through the pinch of said rolls with said sheet, whereby said sheet becomes at least partially Wrapped about body portions of said carton, means for heating said rolls, the working faces of said rolls being conned in length to substantially the length of the body walls of said carton whereby sheets coated with a thermoplastic adhesive substance may be wrapped about and caused to adhere to the body wall portions only of said cartons.

13. In a machine of the character described, means for withdrawing a supply of coated web material from a roll, quick acting means for severing said material into sheets, a pair 0f pinch rolls, a support for said sheets adjacent said pinch rolls, means for positioning a sheet on said support, a hopper for tubed cartons, means for feeding cartons one by one from said hopper through said support into the pinch of said rolls so as to cause a sheet positioned on said support to be carried with the carton into the pinch of the rolls, the sheet being of a size and positioned so as to be wrapped by the rolls about body wall portions of the carton with an edge projecting beyond the upper end of the carton, means beyond said pinch rolls for holding the projecting edge of the sheet over the upper end of the carton so as to lap the opposite edge of the sheet, and a second pair of pinch rolls for sealing together the lapped edges of the sheet to complete the wrapping and sealing of the carton, and means for driving said withdrawing means, said quick acting means, said rst mentioned pinch rolls, and said carton feeding means in timed relationship.

14. The structure claimed in claim 13 including adjustable means for varying the longitu dinal dimension of the cut sheets, and adjustable means for Varying the space relationship of the said driven elements to accommodate cartons of different sizes.

15. The structure claimed in claim 13 wherein said support comprises movable elements acting to restrain and smooth said sheet against body wall portions of said carton as the carton and sheet enter the pinch of said rst mentioned rolls.

16. A process of producing wrapped cartons which comprises providing a tubed carton and a wrapper sheet of a size to enclose the body walls of said carton, positioning said wrapper sheet above a pair of heated pinch r0lls,-pass ing said carton downwardly into the pinch of said rolls, said sheet being positioned so as to be contacted by said carton and carried with it into the pinch of the rolls, the positioning of the sheet being such that it will be wrapped about body Wall portions of the carton with an edge projecting beyond an end of the carton, thereafter folding the projecting edge of the sheet over the end of the carton so as to lap the opposite edge of the sheet, and then passing the wrapped carton through heated pinch rolls to secure the lap portions of the sheet to each other.

SAMUEL BERGSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 904,426 Harris Nov. 17, 1908 2,097,427 Bergstein Nov. 2, 1937 2,244,282 Bergstein June 3, 1941 2,338,074 Cornwell Dec. 28, 1943 2,482,060 Gates Sept. 13, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 613,720 Germany May 25, 1935 

